Neal vs Rakhmonov Fight Info, Date & Time
UFC 285 – Main Card Welterweight Bout
Geoff Neal (15-4-0, 9 KOs) vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov (16-0-0, 8 KOs)
Da te:'Saturday, March 4, 2023
Fight Time:'This will be one of the fights on the main card, which begins at 10 p.m. ET.
Venue:'T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV
Coverage:'ESPN, PPV
Neal vs Rakhmonov Odds & Prop Bets
Moneyline:
– Geoff Neal: (+350)
– Shavkat Rakhmonov: (-520)
Method of Victory:
– Neal by KO/TKO: (N/A)
– Neal by Points: (N/A)
– Neal by Submission: (N/A)
– Rakhmonov by KO/TKO: (N/A)
– Rakhmonov by Points: (N/A)
– Rakhmonov by Submission: (N/A)
Neal vs Rakhmonov Prediction
There's no denying that UFC 285 is loaded with thrilling bouts. One of those bouts features two rising stars in the welterweight division facing off in Geoff Neal and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Rakhmonov is looking to maintain a perfect UFC record, while Neal is looking to make a statement to his doubters.
The hype around Rakhmonov is building after his submission victory over Neil Magny back in June. Keep in mind Magny is the one who handed Neal his most recent loss back in May of 2021. Neal has gone on to beat Santiago Ponzinibbio (split decision) and Vicente Luque (KO/TKO) since that time.
Both of these fighters excel when it comes to landing strikes, but only one thrives when a fight goes to the ground. Rakhmonov averages 2.31 takedowns and 1.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes, which shines in comparison to Neal's marks of 0.59 takedowns and 0.1 submission attempts.
I'll side with'Shavkat Rakhmonov to emerge victorious.
Neal vs Rakhmonov Best Bet
While Neal will want to turn this into an upright battle, Rakhmonov owns a 55% strike defense rate and absorbs just 1.39 significant strike per minute. He has proven he is capable of controlling a fight from the start and has a golden opportunity to prove why he is ranked No. 1 in the welterweight division.
I've already touched on the advantage that Rakhmonov has in this bout, but it's worth diving deeper into. The 28-year-old owns an 8-0 professional record in fights decided by submission, while Neal is only 2-1 in that scenario. Rakhmonov knows how to get his opponent to either tap out or pass out.